Work Transition: The New Mental Health Day

a messy but fun stint at the art table during my mental health day

When I worked in an office and needed a mental health day I stayed home. Now that I work at home, what am I supposed to do?

The conundrum presented itself yesterday and left me scratching my head.

I thought of getting out of the house, but didn't feel like it. Then I toyed with the idea of a computer-free day, but that didn't appeal to me either.

So what did I do?

I decided to follow my intuition the entire day and go only where I felt drawn, putting aside my to-do list entirely. <gasp>

Here's where that led me:

~ I started a running "Ta-Dah list" (thank you Ms Julia Cameron, for introducing me to the concept!) that includes all the stuff I accomplished during the past eight weeks, lest I start berating myself for being incompetent because I haven't secured a solid revenue yet. Then I had a conversation with myself about expectations.

~ I wiped my office whiteboard clean and brainstormed about what's on my plate and what's coming up.

~ I had a second conversation with myself about expectations.

~ I started recording meals and snacks in my food journal again.

~ I did laundry and dishes.

~ I picked up a book that had been sitting in my library bag for a week and read perfectly timed passages.

~ I fished out a workbook I paid for years ago and again, flipped through perfectly timed worksheets.

~ I caught up on Facebook.

~ I painted.

~ I made homemade soup.

~ I wrote this post.

~ I vowed I wouldn't bore you with the minutia of my day.

I never cease to be amazed at the little things that are cropping up during this journey, things like how the heck do I take a mental health day when work is stuff I used to do on a mental health day when I worked in the office?!

Seriously, I'd never thought of that.

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What do you do on a mental health day? Do you work at home or in an office environment?

5-Day Challenge: Results from Days 4 & 5

Could someone please tell me where the five days went?

Results for Days 4 and 5...

Day 4

Remember how at the end of Day 3 I ended up with a piece that had me grieving the loss of its interim state? All I could do was move on so, building on Day 3's end result (the first picture), I forged ahead:

     

  

It's still a work in progress, but I am much happier with where it's going than I was at the end of Day 3.

Day 5

On my last day I came full circle and refined my end results from Day 1 (see first pic below). I solidified the background and some of the colours. She too is still a work in progress, but I like where she's heading. Voici:

  

And that's it! I declare this 5-Day Challenge complete.

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I enjoyed the ritual of painting and the learning that goes with too much to let it go again, I intend to continue.

Painting every day might be a tad unrealistic, but I might surprise myself at how often I get to it. After all, I get to choose when I go to the table and if I want it, it'll happen.

And if it lapses again? There's always another 5-Day Challenge.

Maybe you'll join me on that one?

Online Shop Open for Business!

prints now available at the new Etsy shop

I'm interrupting my 5-Day Challenge report with some exciting news:

The online shop is open for business!

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My art reflects my personal story that, because I'm human, is also universal.

That's why I share it.

I'm excited.

Check it out.

5-Day Challenge: Day 3 Results

Oh my, Day 3 you were interesting.

Again I pulled out a piece that had been sitting in the "in progress" cubby shelf for nearly a year:

Day 3 starting point

I liked the blue figure on the right-hand side, but then I turned it around and saw a woman looking out into the distance...

Day 3 interim state, I really like this

... and gradually she became this:

Day 3 end result, I preferred the interim state above

Faces intimidate me when they ask to be brought to life. Continuing on this piece will be a major challenge for me, I'm afraid of screwing it up even more.

BUT, one of the first painting workshops I took in 2008 was called Painting as a Process and that process involves persisting through resistance, risking what's there to create something even better.

A metaphor for life perhaps?

I'll let you be the judge. I'm off to meet one of my artistic challenges and see if I can shape Day 3's work in progress into something that pleases me.

Tune in tomorrow to see if I actually go through with it.

5-Day Challenge: Day 2 Results

In the interest of keeping myself accountable during this 5-Day Challenge I'm laying it all out here folks - the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Be gentle, 'k?

Day 2: I started with a work in progress that had been parked on the shelf since April 2011 (apologies for the bad lighting, but you'll get the gist)...

5-Day Challenge Day 2 starting point

... that evolved into this, still a work in progress:

5-Day Challenge Day 2 results

work in progress 8"x16" on canvas

It's similar in style to a piece I completed during my last 5-Day Challenge; I look forward to seeing where it'll go from here.

Back soon with Day 3...

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It's not too late to join in. I'm telling you, it feels good!